In his article in the Washington Times about the Charlie Sheen Police Escort, Matthew Cella quoted MPD Police Chief Cathy Lanier as having admitted that the Sheen escort broke multiple department rules. No offense Cathy or Matthew, but those of us in the Executive Protection field realized that, the minute we saw crazy Charlie taking a cell phone picture of the speed odometer, documenting for the world to see that the D.C. Police cruiser in front was pushing 80 miles an hour, 30 miles outside of their jurisdiction.

I do have to say, that Chief Lanier sounded very honest and open during the WTOP radio interview this afternooon when talking about how one of her “middle managers” (“probably a Lieutenant”, she said) wrongfully authorized the problematic escort of a Hollywood celebrity. I was about ready to give her a “thumbs up” until she began justifying why her officers would have broken the rules.

Chief Lanier went on to tell the interviewer that it wasn’t really that surprising that her officers went outside of their jurisdiction, sped and drove with their emergency lights flashing. “Afterall”, she said, “Police are only human and we can’t expect them not to be awe struck when dealing with celebrities”. What you talkin’ about Cathy?

Yes, Police Officers are human, but no – they are certainly not like the average citizen. They go through a different training, have broad sweeping powers that regular people do not share and have the ability to take another’s liberty and even life, if necessary. They should damn well be held to a higher standard and we should expect far more from them than we would do from a 13 year old girl waiting for a “Bieber appearance” outside of a concert hall.

I would wager that if you took a survey of all Executive Protection Agents (definitely all E.P. Agency owners), they would tell you that when they are hired to work in close proximity of a celebrity, they are not “awe struck” by that person. If I ever discovered that one of my bodyguards had broken the law or embarrased my company or themselves on an E.P. detail, that would be the last time they would work for me. The ironic thing is that when it comes to private sector Executive Protection, most Agents are more highly trained and experienced than local Police Officers.

Apparently, the Metropolitan Police Department rules allows officers to perform escort duty for The President, Vice Prez, visiting Heads of State and the Mayor. I sure am glad that I am not an MPD “middle manager” trying to figure out which category that “Tiger Blood” Charlie fits into.

There are many people across the United States who wonder what it would be like to be a bodyguard…how much money can you make, what it would be like to work with the rich and famous…

If you have ever considered working as an Executive Protection Agent, you may have researched the type of school you would need to attend for this specialized training. If you did, you probably know that the cost is a few thousand dollars.

For most people, that is a considerable investment – speaking of the short term anyway. Long term – it is little compared to college tuition and after you are certified, you can make a lucrative living and have an exciting career, that many others can only dream about.

If you are considering a career change,taking early retirement, or perhaps know someone who is thinking about Executive Protection as a career, wouldn’t it be better to find out first hand what is involved before paying out money for something that you/they are not even sure might be the right choice?

We think so, that is why we hold E.P. introduction classes in various cities around the United States. Our next Bodyguard Intro class will be held in downtown Las Vegas on 3/20/11. We will share all the “secrets” about being a bodyguard in that class. Attendees may ask as many questions as they need in order to decide if working as an Executive Protection Agent is really for them.

Some of the topics which will be discussed include; how much money you can expect to make – both in the U.S. and overseas (very important when it comes to getting an assignment as you want to be sure you are being paid a fair amount), how to work overseas, how to network and build a list of contacts that will assist you with employment, what a school should be teaching you,what they should be charging you (it is just as bad to pay too little as it is to pay too much), different laws in the U.S., when you can carry a weapon, etc.

This is only a small example of what you will learn during the presentation. The cost to attend the class is $125.00 and is a small investment when you consider it could save you $1000′s. As an added benefit, we will even refund the class fee to anyone who wishes to take our E.P. training in Las Vegas in September or, at any other location within 12 months of the presentation.

Remember, this presentation is not just for our training, but for the Executive Protection profession as a whole. Armed with all of the insider information we will give, you will be in a far better position to make an informed decision on not only where to train and how much to spend, but if this line of work is really for you.

Seating is strictly limited, so to reserve your place in class and to avoid disappointment, e-mail us at; training@sextonsecurity.com for a registration form today. Unless you would rather go to the introduction seminar in May – but that will be held in Bangkok.